Greater Philly Gluten Free Expo coming to Oaks May 21

Heather Gannon with daughter Rachel at The Rachel Way Gluten & Dairy Free Food Pantry in Plymouth Meeting. Gannon will be giving out information about the pantry at the Greater Philly Gluten Free Expo at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks on Saturday.
Gary Puleo — Digital First Media

UPPER PROVIDENCE >> Those who follow a gluten-free diet will likely find that the $10 advance admission price to the Greater Philly Gluten Free Expo on Saturday, May 21, pays for itself in the amount of free samples they’ll be getting from a variety of vendors.

More than 50 exhibitors will be on hand to tout their gluten-free goods at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks (Hall D), including many whose brands you may have spotted on the shelves of Whole Foods, Wegmans and other markets, such as Enjoy Life; Wholly Wholesome; The Happy Mixer; King Arthur Flour; Sweet Note Bakery; Sweet Leaf; Udi’s Gluten Free/Glutino and Crazy Richard’s peanut butter.

Besides the generous gluten-banishing foodie folks sharing their samples, the day will feature educational presentations and door prizes.

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To some, the term “gluten free” may seem like just another food fad that will ultimately go the way of the triple-stuffed Oreo, but it’s related to a real medical condition, celiac disease, as well as allergies and conditions caused by an adverse reaction to gluten, the elastic protein that gives bread its chewy texture and volume.

One in 133 people in the U.S. has celiac disease, though many are undiagnosed, noted expo coordinator Matthew Bolich, whose wife has celiac disease.

The majority of those who attended two highly successful gluten-free expos Bolich had previously organized — including one at Penn Stater Conference Hotel, which attracted more than 1,000 visitors — were not bandwagon-jumping types at all, he recalled.

“We don’t get a lot of people who view gluten-free in a faddish way,” he said. “Our impression is that these people need to eat gluten free. In talking to a lot of attendees we found that the majority of people attending had someone in the family with a medical necessity, or they just feel very strongly, based on their health, that they’re better off eating gluten free. We got a lot of people with celiac disease and a lot of people with gluten sensitivities or wheat allergy.”

Most people are not going to pay for admission or carve out a portion of their day to attend an expo if it isn’t something that they’re committed to, Bolich said.

“We have had people at the event who say, ‘My doctor said I don’t need to be gluten free but I feel much better because it’s helping me.’ Once they feel that way they’re going to stay committed to something like that. People who are just looking to feel better may try a gluten-free diet and sometimes it really does seem to work for them. But celiac is the most common reason why someone would go gluten free.”

Fugo is also on the board of The Rachel Way Gluten & Dairy Free Food Pantry, located at the Church on the Mall at Plymouth Meeting Mall in Plymouth Meeting.

“Jen will be mentioning the pantry and asking people to stop by our table,” noted The Rachel Way founder Heather Gannon, who launched her nonprofit food bank to help feed those with gluten and dairy sensitivities but can’t afford the typically higher prices at the grocery store, naming the pantry after her daughter, who was diagnosed at age 11 by a homeopathic doctor as having a severe sensitivity to gluten and dairy.

“We got a very large donation in gift cards from Wegmans stores, so things are coming along on the support front ... but the need is so great,” noted Gannon.

Those who stop by The Rachel Way table will be treated to a free Kind bar, courtesy of the brand that is a regular sponsor of the pantry.

Doors at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, 100 Station Ave., Oaks, open on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The expo runs until 4 p.m.